Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1887-05-26
LITTLE JACOPO:
Or the Beautiful Child Of the New
Year.

Or the Beautiful Child Of the New
Year.
In the autumn of 1880 was spend
ing few weeks at the Hotel Christol in
Boulogne-sur-Mer, which is but short
distance by rail from Calais. This sea-
side resort is favorite place for both
French and English invalids, because
the air is generally fresh and well
charged with that indescribable but
perfectly well understood invigorating
element called ozone. The town is
well sheltered from atmospheric vio-
lence, for on one side the tall cliffs of
Boulogne frown down upon the waters
of the English Channel that chafe and
thrash and thunder at their feet con-
tinually; on the other side she is
equally well sheltered by the old town
of Boulogne, called affectionately by
every Boulognese the "Haute Vile, p"
because it is the high town, as COM
pared with the bathing place--the Bas
Ville-which, five hundred feet be-
meath, has within comparatively few
number of years stretched itself along
the sides of the sluggish and dirty
stream which is dignified by the title
of the River Lame, and runs through
the center of Boulognc until it escapes
into the English Channel through
an opening in the white cliffs.
There is very little in the Bas
Vile that is of interest to visitor
except the Establishment de Mer, q
large building and garden at the
northern end of the town which are
sacred to the pleasures of the elite.
There they dance, promenade, flirt,
play billiards, battle, or spend hours in
the luxurious reading room, perusing
the journals of all parts of the civilized
world. Boulogne contains hundreds
of English gentlemen who have found
it mighty convenient to quit their
native soil, and these generally find
themselves forced to take to gambling
for bare living, or to the depths OF
the Lame when bad luck has utterly
broken them down.
1t so happened that at the period o.
my visit to Boulogne the weather was
almost continually bad The rain fell,
the chill and damp winds swept dis,
agreeable through the streets, ant
every body seemed to be ON the verge
of dying of ennu. /, with others, was
one day flattening my nose against tn,
hotel window panes of the general re
ception room, watching the shipping
on the Lame or the blue-bloused
ouvriers as they clattered in thei
sabots through the splashing streets
Suddenly the clouds broke up and tn,
sun shone brilliantly. Shortly after
wards a crowd of men and women APP
preached the hotel across the LANE
swinging bridge. They were evidentl,
in state of excitement, and the Oh
ject of their excitement seemed to b
in their midst, for the women, mel
and children ceased their chatterin,
every few moments to cast their eye
down or to point their finger at some
thing or somebody that was MOVING
along in the center. The procession
of enthusiasts moved on until the
came to the quay. Then they turne
to the left and disappeared in tn
Halle des Poissons. All / could oil
serve in the midst of this picturesqu
crowd was little boy, probably tie
years of age, who walked with his eye
fixed steadily before him as If he wer
totally unconscious of any thin
unusual going on around him. Hi
face, which was very regular, pal
and beautiful, struck me as bein
somewhat unearthly-as if it wer
tinged by some influence from Heave
or that mysterious Other Land whic
no man can describe. although regard
ing it he may have thousand fantasti
and unstable fancies.
"Whata singular-looking childw e,
claimed to French gentleman stand
ing next to me at the window. 9Th
poor boy is evidently insane"
Pardon me, monsieur" my con
panion replied; "the child is not in
sane. This is little Jacopo, le Ills d
jour de rau,' who is positively aore
by the poorer classes in this part of tn
country"
The child of the New Year, e,
claimed. translating my friends r.
mark. "What singular name. VIII
does il all mean?"
Come with me- said my compal
ion. Wen proceed. if you please. {
the fish market, where. no doubt. yc
will find the fishwomen bowling an
dancing and throwing flowers on lit
J,copo.n
We proceeded to the Halle des Poi
sons.
The sight that met my eyes VI
something it would be very difficult
forget There stood the strange chi
with the pure white hair in the cent
Of a group Of excited men and womel